Adjustable hanger



April 9, 1957 D. s. LEWIS ADJUSTABLE HANGER Filed May 17, 1954 "will J "Hum" Q3 IW 1 INVEIN TOR:

BY "I/ 4/ wrap/v ADJUSTABLE HANGER Dewey S. Lewis, Kansas City, Kans.

Application May 17, 1954, Serial No. 430,215

1 Claim. (Cl. 21194.5)

The present invention has to do with an adjustable hanger particularly adapted for supporting storm windows but having novel features rendering the same capable for use to support many types of articles such as garden tools, clothing, kitchen utensils and the like.

It is the most important object of the present invention to provide an adjustable hanger that includes a plurality of slide plates each having a hook thereon and supported by opposed tracks of a downwardly-facing channel member.

Another object of the instant invention is to provide a hanger of the aforementioned character provided with a channel member wherein the said tracks take the form of longitudinal ribs in the legs of the channel member serving additionally to support or reinforce the channel member.

Other objects include the way in which the hook-supporting plates are provided with opposed wings that extend into grooves and slide along inclined tracks; the manner of permitting removal of any number of the plates together with their hooks whereby the hanger is rendered adaptable to accommodate articles of various sizes and important details of construction to be made clear as the following specification progresses.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is an end view of a pair of adjustable hangers made pursuant to the present invention showing a storm window suspended thereby.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view showing one of the hangers with the said storm windows supported thereby.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, top plan view of a hanger, parts being broken away for clearness.

Pig. 4 is a side elevational view, parts being broken away to reveal details of construction; and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged, transverse, cross-sectional view taken on line V-V of Fig. 4.

The two hangers illustrated in Fig. l of the drawing are identical and, therefore, the form and construction of but one adjustable hanger will be described.

The hanger is broadly designated by the numeral and includes an elongated channel member 12 having an uppermost Wall or bight 14 provided with openings 16 for receiving fasteners, not shown, so that the hangers it) may be mounted on a ceiling or other overhead 18 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

In addition to the wall 14, channel member 12 includes a pair of integral legs depending from the wall 14 and each leg is composed of a down-turned, vertical flange 2b, together with a longitudinal rib 22 on each flange 20 respectively, and which is, as shown in Fig. 5, substantially V-shaped in transverse cross-section. Ribs tates Patent 0 I 2,788,132 Patented Apr. 9, 1957 22 present therefore, opposed, inwardly-facing grooves 24 and downwardly and inwardly inclined, longitudinally extending tracks 26.

1 The downwardly-facing channel member 12 supports a plurality of substantially flat, elongated plates 28 through the medium of opposed, outwardly and upwardly flared wings 30 integral with the plates 28 and extending into grooves 24, the wings 30 being in slidable engagement with the tracks 26 as best seen in Fig. 5. Each plate 28 has a J-shaped hook 32 integral therewith, hooks 32 depending from one end of the plates 28 and extending beneath and exteriorly of the channel member 12. It is to be noted that each hook 32 has an open top loop 34 that is bent forwardly toward one end or the channel member 12 and thence upwardly.

A downwardly bent car 36 on the wall 14 closes one end of the channel member 12 and a suitable clip 38 releasably mounted on the channel member 12 at the opposite end thereof, cooperates with the ear 36 in retaining the plates 28 within the channel member 12.

Storm windows 40, shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing, are conventionally equipped with slotted brackets 42 that are adapted to receive the loops 34 of hooks 32 and when a pair of hangers 10 are mounted on the overhead 18 in spaced, parallel relationship, a series of storm windows 40 may be supported and stored in the manner illustrated by Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing.

In this connection, the number of plates 28 that are utilized in each hanger 10, depends upon the nature of the articles to be suspended thereby, and one or more of the plates 28 may be removed simply by removal of clips 38 so that the articles to be supported will have sufiicient room to hang from the hangers 10 substantially as seen in Fig. 2. Still further, it is to be pointed out that one or more of the hangers 10 may be utilized and when rather bulky objects such as garden tools are adapted for hanging from the hooks 32, it may well be necessary to space the plates 28 further apart than shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4.

The plates 28 slide freely without binding along the tracks 26 and yet, by virtue of the fact that wings 30 extend into the grooves 24, there is no tipping of the plates 28 either transversely or longitudinally thereof.

The ribs 22 in addition to presenting grooves 24 and tracks 26 for satisfactorily supporting the wings 30 of plates 28, serve an additional and important function, namely, that of reinforcing the channel member 12, thereby rendering it extremely strong and durable and permitting use of relatively lightweight, inexpensive material in forming not only the channel member 12, but the plates 28 and their component parts.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

An adjustable hanger comprising an elongated, downwardly-facing channel member provided with an uppermost, horizontal wall and a pair of spaced, parallel legs integral with the wall, coextensive in length therewith and depending therefrom, each leg including a vertical flange and a rib below the flange and integral therewith, the ribs being V-shaped in transverse cross-section, presenting a pair of opposed, inwardly-facing grooves and a pair of downwardly and inwardly inclined, fiat tracks; a series of flat, rectangular, horizontally coplanar aligned plates within the channel member, each provided with a pair of opposed, upwardly and outwardly flared, flat, rectang'ulai'. wings integral therewith and extending into the grooves, saidwingsresting flatly on the tracks andbe ing slidable along the latter longitudinally of the channel member, the uppermost and outermost longitudinal edges of the wings slidably engaging the bights of the ribs within the grooves for holding the plates against tipping out of their horizontal planes; and a J-shaped hook for each plate respectively between the wings, each hook including a fiat, rectangular, vertical stem integral with and depending from the plate at one end thereof beneath and exteriorly of the channel member, saidstems being. perpendicular to and coextensive in width with the plates, each stem having a loop integral therewith. at the. lowermost end thereof, said loops being. bent forwardly toward one end of the channel member and thence upwardly, opening upwardly toward the wall.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 950,859 Michaud Mar. 1, 1910 1,041,563 Andrejkovits Oct. 15, 1912 1,239,919 Kirsch Sept. 11, 1917 1,329,889 Edsall et a1. Feb. 3, 1920 2,214,118 Bracken Sept. 10, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS 588,340 Great Britain May 20, 1947 

